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The Dallas Stars face the Colorado Avalanche Sunday afternoon for the third and final time this season. Entering Sunday's match, the Stars are 42-21-2 while the Avalanche are 40-24-3. Dallas and Colorado split their first two games, with the Stars winning 5-3 on Nov. 29 and the Avalanche winning 6-3 on Jan. 18.

Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are scheduled then offers insight and analysis to help predict who will be victorious in head-to-head matchups.

MacKinnon’s family, Makar, Devon Toews, Andrew Cogliano and Gabe Landeskog all took part in the ceremony. Rantanen did not … but he was on the ice. He was standing near the Stars bench and tapped his stick on a couple of times for his former linemate-turned-foe.

Mikko Rantanen tapped his heart as the video screen showed highlights of his Colorado Avalanche career, culminating with him hoisting the Stanley Cup.

DENVER (AP) — Cale Makar scored 34 seconds into overtime and Colorado recovered after squandering a late two-goal lead to win 4-3 over the Dallas Stars on Sunday in the return of former Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen.

The Colorado Avalanche won their second straight game Sunday afternoon against Central Division rival Dallas -- the Avs' eighth win in their past nine games that improved their record to 41-24-3 this season.